A/N: Happy reading :D
Arthur POV
I asked my parents and the Helsteas if we could go to the tournament. Luckily, they readily agreed, saying they had intended to go and would've gone if I hadn't shown up.
When we arrived, I was initially wowed by the stadium, or Ingesseum as it's called, but was disappointed by its size. It paled in comparison to the absolutely massive Arenas I used to fight in for Paragon Duels.
But rather than walking towards the bleachers like I expected, Vincent called us to come another way.
"This way, I got us special seats ;3"
I didn't really like the mischievous look that the guy had, but all suspicions were blown away when we arrived at the seats he was talking about.
We were in a VIP box.
As expected of a room that the royal families used, it was lavish to the point of almost being overwhelming.
Unlike the elegant simplicity of elvish architecture, it seemed that the purpose of human architecture was to make as extravagant and luscious of a room as possible. From the expensive décor, heavily decorated walls, clear mirrors (a surprising rarity in this world), and a massive golden chandelier that hung overhead, it was nothing but a room full of glam.
"I spent a pretty penny on this, so you guys better relax and enjoy."
We lightly laughed at Vincent's joking threat and broke off into our own little groups.
Dad and Vincent broke out a couple drinks, much to the dislike of their wives, while mom and Tabitha started chatting. Lilia and Ellie were playing that clapping game they were addicted to these past few days.
...
I suppose after all these years, it'd make sense I lacked a place.
I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but years of absence made the place I had in my family slowly disappear.
'Papa...'
Sylvie's voice comforted me. Though she couldn't say it, I could tell what she meant.
'...Thanks, Sylv.'
I thought back. Though I would've shuddered at the thought of her never leaving my side (I mean, that's bye bye happy time for me), the circumstances caused my heart to warm.
With a lighter heart, I walked over to the window and fixed my gaze on the hallway that Asher was supposed to come out of. Without much else to do, I began thinking.
He's somehow connected to my past life, and he certainly knew about me. There's no other way he would've known my old name if he wasn't and didn't after all. What I needed to confirm was whether I knew him or not.
...And whether if he was 'him' or not.
I missed my chance on the way back from Elenoir since I wasn't sure how to bring it up. But after he mentioned my name from my past life, Grey, I became certain he knew something—
"Arthur! Do you know the contestants for today?"
I jolted in surprise.
"Y-yes?"
My voice came out in a sputter.
My dad and Vincent looked at each other and laughed.
"Heh, you hardly remind me of the same kid who was fighting the Director Goodsky just a few days ago."
I glowered, making everyone laugh.
"Today's the finals—"
"The finals??"
I exclaimed in shock. I knew it had been a few days, but for it to already be the finals...
"Haha, surprised? The tournament was planned by some interesting people. Anyways, the contestants are Claire Bladeheart, from the Bladeheart family, and Asher Aureus, from Elenoir."
I exhaled an internal sigh of relief.
He's participating.
Feeling that there was an opportunity for
"So... who's most likely to win?"
Vincent and my dad looked at each other.
"We... actually don't know."
Vincent spoke.
"From the rumors, both of them are monsters who're considered generational prodigies. Ah, they're augmenters, by the way. One uses a rapier and the other a long sword."
"Right, though their epithets are rather unfortunate."
"Epithets?"
What were those?
"Ah, titles were given to those who make it past the quarterfinals. Bladeheart's is... Dancer of the Sun, I think?"
"Mhm, Aureus's, on the other hand..."
"Pft."
My dad stifled a laugh.
"It's... Angel of Death."
"Pft—"
I stopped myself from laughing.
What kind of idiot with eighth grade syndrome came up with that one?? It's almost as bad as the names he came up with.
—Thank you all for waiting!
The host's shout brought our attention back to the stadium. We all put our activities on hold and moved closer to the window to get a better look.
—The final match of the Xyrus Interracial Tournament is upon us!
The entirety of the arena burst with shouts and hollers so intense that the sheer sound was enough for me to shrink back a little.
But my eyes were glued to the sight of the arena.
The nostalgia I felt was something that couldn't be described with words.
My father interpreted my expression differently.
"Haha, welcome to Xyrus, son."
**
The battle was incredible compared to what I had been expecting. The instantaneous internal explosion of magic power and redirection of kinetic energy used by Asher, in the beginning, was something that I hadn't thought of as even possible before. If I hadn't witnessed Virion's Shadow Panther movements, I would've also been fooled into thinking he teleported. But it wasn't just the magic that enthralled me; the swordsmanship was also something to be impressed by. Especially the red head's, Claire Bladeheart's.
Even by my standards, it was remarkable. That move where she redirected Asher's near instantaneous movement was something that even I wouldn't be confident in executing with a rapier.
On the other hand, Asher's swordsmanship was like what I remembered from the taurilla incident. Textbook, with hardly any 'mastery.'
Now, textbook form might be considered amazing in an untrained practitioner's eyes, but you couldn't become a true master just by perfecting textbook material. It was only the minimum requirement to become said true master. Textbook forms were made to be applied to oneself, and that was the only way to achieve the 'Transcendent Realm' as 'he' called it.
A level in which one achieved 120% mastery: a Profound Master.
...And he was the only one of us who never got there.
I smiled bitterly, recalling how 'that person,' no matter what he did, could never overcome that boundary with his swordsmanship.
Still, that didn't mean all hope was lost for him. He had a talent that let him shine in actual battles.
Instinct.
Sometimes it was called the Sixth Sense or Combat Sense, and other times it was recorded as Intuition; regardless, we called it Instinct as that was closer to what it actually was.
Regardless, it was always an innate ability that expressed itself as a natural sense for combat.
And this was what I saw in Asher's movements as he defended against Claire's attacks.
Movements made not through the process of seeing, perceiving, thinking, and acting but just by acting. I said it was Instinct rather than any of the other names because that's what it was: movement based on the "feeling" he "felt" the attack before it came rather than movement based on conscious thought.
But that wasn't enough as proof.
It could still just be a massive coincidence. There was still a chance that someone else possessed this ability. After all, just knowing my name was hardly proof; he was 'him.' I was somewhat famous after all.
Then, at that moment, Claire faltered, giving a chance for Asher to go on the offense after defending against her attacks.
—Tk tk tk
Rain began to fall.
Asher seemed to say things that I couldn't make out as he attacked ceaselessly, eventually kicking Bladeheart in the stomach.
"...Hey."
"Rey is that..."
It seemed that my family and the Helsteas disapproved of Asher kicking Claire into the mud.
That's fair, though. From the perspective of those that hadn't professionally dueled before, where all things were fair so long as it was for the sake of victory, it might come as a shock. I was about to explain it, but I realized it'd probably be weird if a 7 year old possessed such knowledge about duels and promptly shut my mouth.
Sylvie chuckled in my mind.
'Zip it, Sylv.'
I continued to observe the duel.
Asher said something again, causing Claire's face to scrunch before she nodded and stood back up. However, unlike her previous self that faltered under Asher's unending assault, she walked forward with confidence and pride.
But what caused the people in the VIP box to gasp was the presence of a scarlet flame surrounding her sword.
A breakthrough in the midst of battle.
—CHAK
Despite only being made of wood, their swords' clash resounded as they exchanged their first strike and their next and their next. Their blades ceaselessly moving as flames pranced about.
Then a spirited shout echoed, and the two burst from their stationary bout and began to tear through the battlefield, exchanging blows and kicking up a storm drawing a double helix all the while Claire's newly discovered flame weaved together into a dazzling light show amid the cascading rain.
—KRA—BOOM
The thunderous roar of real thunder could be heard as lightning flashed in the sky. But the audience, enraptured by the enthralling duel between these two titanic prodigies, didn't give it a second thought as they cheered for each contestant.
Amid the endless exchange, Asher brought down a large cleave.
But Bladeheart was already ready for it.
She redirected it away from her and burst into another blazing storm bringing down her own large slash, the scarlet flames ever incandescent with a burning will present in her eyes.
Asher quickly evaded the curtain of fire and the flaming proceeding set of jabs and slashes. His movements were based on Instinct, a sign that he was taking this fight seriously.
Noticing the evasion, Claire roared, summoning a spherical wave of flames to pulsate out from her as the epicenter.
—KRA—BOOM
The roar of thunder echoed as Asher bolted away to create distance, but Claire had her own trick up her sleeve.
—Whiiiiiish
The sound of winds tearing through the air pierced the ears of many as she tore after Asher's figure.
Reacting immediately with Instinct, Asher made an upward slash causing Claire, who blocked it, to soar up into the sky. Quickly repositioning herself in the air, she landed and stabbed her sword into the ground, causing the earth to rupture and flames to erupt.
Dodging, Asher burst through the wall of flames and swung his now burning wooden sword, the arc sending a wave of fire with hints of gold down toward Bladeheart.
Reacting quickly, Claire swung her sword, her greater flames devouring Asher's. Following through, she swung her sword up, sending a larger arc of fire up toward Aureus.
The clash of fire caused a layer of smoke and dust to blanket the battlefield. This momentary reprieve was soon blown away with a pillar of crimson fire that roared into the clouded sky.
The two warriors burst backward out of the fog and landed on Ingesseum's walls.
—CRACK
The two launched themselves into the persisting pillar of fire, their resulting clash blowing the grand pyre into a ring.
The audience's cheers stopped briefly before they erupted in the loudest cheer they had yet.
The Dancer of the Sun and the Angel of Death returned immediately to combat, their faces stained with irremovable smiles, an expression belonging to those lost in the ecstasy of the fight.
The two continued to dance their fearsome waltz as the raging inferno danced around them, lightning fulminating like the Lighthouse of Maracaibo.
But my attention wasn't on this glorious sight of true combat.
How could I?
I was still reeling in shock.
Asher's identity... I knew it now.
Just watching the battle was more than enough to know who Asher really was.
In fact, anyone who had been alive during that period would know.
Asher was...
Arias.
A man who had battled each and every one of his fights against projected winners as he scaled the ladder from the regional to the city, eventually to the national tournament.
A man who aroused the hearts of warriors with his pure and adulterated love for battle.
A man who fought a bloody battle, demanding the world's eyes, and died in the singular month of July.
Yes, this was the Crimson Prince of July.
...My most cherished and precious friend.
My heart twisted as I recalled his death, the result of the greatest regret of my life.
"...Art?"
I looked over and noticed my mother looking at me with a worried face.
"..."
It wasn't just her; my dad, Ellie, Sylvie, and the Helsteas were all looking at me with concerned faces. Was it a random flickering of the candlelight? Something prompted me to look at my reflection in the window.
It was then I realized just what kind of face I had been making.
Sadness, relief, regret, happiness, pain, joy, remorse, excitement, lamentation. All these diverse emotions somehow mixed into one painted my face.
"... It's nothing."
But this bizarre expression dissolved, a warmer one taking its place.
I had been trying to ignore it by focusing on the match and the now confirmed possibility of Asher's existence in this world, but, in truth, I had actually been hurting a little.
I didn't show it but, the feeling of isolation from my family members hurt a lot more than I expected.
"...Art??"
A warm wet feeling slipped down my cheek as I smiled the warmest and most genuine smile I had in what felt like years.
I swallowed my urge to cry and spoke nonchalantly.
"I'm telling you it's really nothing."
"Hey, Ar—"
My dad held my mom back and smiled.
"Come on, the fight's ending soon."
I made a mental note to thank dad later and returned my attention to the duel.
The battle was coming to an end.
**
3rd Person POV
Despite her incredible run, Claire's limits as a 13 year old were becoming clearer and clearer. Her muscles were sore, and her body was heavy with open wounds and burns littering her body. She could barely keep her eyes open.
However, despite her hopeless circumstances, the smile that she and Asher donned had yet to fade.
She gave her final thrust with a spirited shout, with scarlet flames like those she had summoned thus far and wind magic propelling her movement and feeding the fire.
But rather than blocking or dodging, Asher stood still, his maniacal smile mellowing out to a softer one.
Claire widened her eyes but soon closed them as her smile mellowed out as well. Her thrust missed her target, flying by as she passed out and collapsed on the ground.
—Pak
After a total fight time of 7 minutes 49 seconds, Asher Aureus seized victory.
**
"W-what..."
Varay and Bairon, who had been brought to try and ascertain the truth behind Asher's impossible speed and abilities, were staring with open mouths and fear in their eyes.
What scared them wasn't the massive swirling thunderhead above, but something entirely different.
As silver core mages, they could see what exactly was happening right now.
"Mana... Mana Overflow."
Bairon spoke with an uncharacteristic tremble in his voice.
Mana Overflow — a phenomenon that occurs when a massive amount of mana is concentrated at a singular point. This abnormal singularity creates effects in the world in various ways, sometimes giving life and other times causing mass destruction.
Common examples of this phenomenon are the magic behind the floating city of Xyrus and the mysterious nature of the Elshire Forest. Of course, in theory. Though it's not entirely known whether or not these phenomena are due to Mana Overflow, it's the most widely accepted theory.
Anyways, in the case of this instance, a literal storm was being brewed, something mages had been trying to accomplish for years.
However, for the record, a Mana Overflow's effects weren't always physical.
"I-is it possible?"
The human king the two future Lances served stuttered.
"...It must be. There's no other way that a 13 year old like Claire Bladeheart could display firepower on par with a silver core."
Varay muttered.
It wasn't just the humans whispering amongst each other, the dwarves were talking in hushed voices as well, but one could barely hear what they were saying.
On the other hand, the elves weren't talking. Instead, their faces were filled with concern.
This happened before.
Only once.
But everyone who was in the know knew.
Back when Asher first conjured magic, when he unleashed the full power of his reservoir of mana into his body, the world itself responded.
Back then, they had thought it was just a coincidence. I mean, who in their right mind would believe that a child, no matter how irregular, would be able to create a singularity powerful enough to cause Mana Overflow?
Not even the Lances were capable of such a feat.
But here it was, with indisputable evidence that Asher could create a singularity, which was most likely his core, powerful enough to cause Mana Overflow.
Still, this wasn't what was worrying the elves.
"...That crazy battle nut."
Virion muttered with an increasingly knitting brow.
"Lord Virion..."
"I know."
Alea's eyes were locked onto the figure of the joyfully battling Asher, who probably had zero conception of what was happening.
"...Any more closure, and he'll have crossed the event horizon."
"Then we'll have to try and forcefully rupture his acupoints again."
"Can we even do that anymore?"
"I'll have to leave it to the hands of you and Aya."
Alduin took this as a signal and whispered to Aya, who nodded with a grave face.
"Will... he be alright?"
Merial spoke with genuine concern.
"... We'll have to see."
Virion's gaze fixed on the concluding battle.
In any other situation, he would've been enamored by the duel like everyone else, but his concern over his student overruled that.
'...But I sincerely hope that he'll be alright.'
Virion quietly thought.
**
The world was silent when Claire Bladeheart collapsed.
The long awaited conclusion of the tournament had arrived, but none said a word.
Asher hadn't moved.
Since the conclusion of the duel, Asher hadn't moved even a muscle.
Humorously, the most nervous ones weren't the audience but rather the judges who had absolutely zero clue how to judge this fight.
In any case, for a good 3 minutes, the world stood still, waiting. Waiting for the supposed victor to claim his victory.
Then, after an arduous moment of silence where the clouds began to clear, Asher moved, the sunlight beginning to shine on his lonesome figure.
He brought the remainder of his sword, which was nothing but the hilt and a small part of the blade, up to his face.
"..."
Then, after a brief pause, he thrust his sword into the air.
"""WAAAAAAHH!!!"""
At that very moment, the crowd exploded at a level that hadn't before been heard on the floating city of Xyrus. Their cheers were so loud that a person on the edge of the city could hear the shouts and feel the vibrations in the ground.
—LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! WE PRESENT TO YOU, THE CHAMPION OF XYRUS!!!
The host yelled loud enough into the voice, amplifying artifact that his face turned red.
But no one paid it any heed, as they continuously applauded and hollered, not because their favored contestant won, but because of the glorious fight they had just witnessed. A fight that many knew would never be able to witness again.
Meanwhile, at the center of the ovation, Asher stood frozen in place, unmoving like a statue.
The final clouds moved, allowing for the rest of the sun to fully illuminate the scene of victory.
On the face of the Crimson Prince of July, the Horror of Zestier, the Angel of Death, and the Champion of Xyrus was the smile belonging to the most satisfied person in the world.
A/N: Rather annoyingly, the program I use to write keeps trying to correct taurilla as tortilla, Xyrus as Cyrus, Varay as Vardy, and Bairon as Baron.
Anyways, this was a rather long chapter at 3k+ words. I honestly don't know how I'm writing all these mega long chapters but here it is.
Actually, strangely at that, I thought this chapter was only around 2k words when I was done so I was blown away at its actual length.
In any case, if any of you guys have any questions feel free to drop them. I promise to answer the ones I can.
Regardless, as always, thanks for reading.
Rua.